Chapter 14+B: Unexpected Storm

Congratulations, you are now Jayce.

You can't help but feel sorry for the poor beasts, stuck down in this hold all day and night. But there's not exactly room for them to run, and you couldn't just leave them back in Mala. They'll just have to grit their teeth and bear it... You stroke you partner's mane while holding out a carrot you smuggled out of the kitchen. You're pretty sure Fumiko saw you taking it, but she probably thought you were getting a midnight snack or something. Well, I was. It just wasn't forme...

Your buddy snorts appreciatively, and you try to shoo the other horses away. "No, guys, this is Joker's carrot." June's horse seems particularly annoyed, snorting in your face before turning back. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. You're all getting a bit stir-crazy. There's not really room for you to move around down here. I know, why don't all you horses get in a line and just... walk in a big circle or something? Come on, I'll show you."

After several minutes trying to coordinate a dozen mounts to walk around a dim hold, you realize the futility of your actions. Well, it's more exercise than they've been getting. You pat Joker on the snout, then decide it's time to head to bed. As you approach the door, you hear someone talking. You can't resist stopping to listen.

"I'm tellin' you, mate, I'm sure now. That black armor guy is the king of Carcina, the dragon emperor hisself... And the rest are a bunch o' Holy Knights, that sagey guy's got to be the archbishop."

"Yeah, but you really think we can beat them?"

"They're asleep! Wot's the worst they can do - snore at us? And with the price on their 'eads, we'll be rich men!"

"Yeah, but you saw wot Cap'n Rosy did to that other guy wot betrayed 'er. You really wanna end up like 'im?"

"You didn't see 'ow badly he hurt 'er shoulder, did ya? She won't be able to raise that axe of 'ers fer days! Now stow it and give me a hand 'ere."

Mutiny? Oh, crap, they're coming this way! You look around for a hiding place, and decide to dive into a pile of hay. You here sounds at the door, but no one comes in. You here the voices leaving, arguing about which of your friends to go after first. It sounds like the top three choices are June, Paen, and Rain... When you try the door, you realize that they've locked you in - or, you suppose, locked everyone else out.

Let's see... Most everyone was asleep, you remember. Fumiko was in the kitchen, cooking something or other. You think you remember seeing that dancer screwing around on the decks, and there was someone standing on the crow's nest - probably one of your lady mages, from the silhouette. You try the door again. Yep, still locked. First things first, you need to get out of here.

A quick search reveals three routes of exit. There's a window with a net dangling close to it, you could try to slip out, grab it, and climb up. There's a shaft, but you don't know where it leads, or if you can even fit. Then there's the door. You could bust it down, but it might draw a bit of attention.

(A) Window (removing armor optional, reduces chance of failure)
(B) Shaft (requires removing armor)
(C) Door
(D) Wait for help

And you need to decide where to go afterward...
(1) Kitchen
(2) Lower deck
(3) Upper deck
(4) Captain's cabin
(5) Sleeping quarters

When in doubt, the most direct way's usually best. Through the door it is. You shove against it. Nothing. You step back and slam into it. A little jiggle. All right. You take several steps back. With a running start, you plow into the door. And bounce off. The next thing you see is the ceiling. Before you can stand, Joker comes over, and snags a piece of hay stuck in your armor from when you were hiding. "Ha, ha. Very funny. Now give me a hand, huh?" He snorts in your face in response.

Joker nickers at you as you stand. You grab him by the reins, lead him to the door, and turn him around. "Great, now kick. Come on boy, kick. Come on..." Joker stares blankly at you. "Like this!" you say, demonstrating on the door. The sound of your kick startles him, and he lashes out with his back legs. The door slams open, but much more quietly than you expected. Looks like he broke the locking mechanism instead of shattering the wood. You wait for a moment, sword in hand, but no one comes running. Heh, I'm such a genius...

You casually stroll towards the sleeping quarters, emboldened by your daring escape. No pirates run out to challenge you. You can't hear the sounds of battle. Maybe you overestimated all this, maybe it was only those two. Or maybe you misheard them or- nope. You pull yourself back around a corner just in time.

You subtly slip the edge of your sword around the corner. You silently thank Walt for forcing you to polish it to a mirror sheen as you survey the scene. A handful of pirates, 6 that you can see in the main hallway, but maybe more down the side halls. They're sneaking around quietly, locking each door as they get to them. Looks like they've got about half the doors locked - too bad you weren't paying too much attention to the rooming arrangements, other than where the cutest girls were... Speaking of which, looks like they're just getting to the pegasus knights' room. Man, too bad that crazy pink-shirt girl's not around. She'd have already unlocked all these doors and split these pirates from ear to ear...

You snap out of your daydreaming in time to realize they're sneaking into the room with some of the ropes. Oh, right. They said something about Rain being dangerous. So, what to do from here...? You glance over your shoulder, half-expecting a pirate to be standing there. Nope, still clear. Just those ones down the hall. Well, you could probably take half of them easily enough, but six is a risk...

What would that Paen guy do? Eh, probably kill everyone... Maybe choose a more realistic role model. What would Walt do? Probably run out yelling about honor, then trip on his lance. This isn't a productive train of thought, is it...?

(A) Sound an alarm, hope your teammates not locked in are ready for battle before the pirates get to you
(B) Charge in, kill everyone, get the glory
(C) Try to make some noise without getting caught - distract them, wake people up, see what happens
(D) On second thought, better grab backup (choose location)

Come on, think... Think... Got it! Aw, man, I'm such a genius...! You glance in your improvised mirror-sword to see what the bandits are up to. None are looking this way... You tap on the wall of the wall you're leaning against. No response. You tap again, a bit louder. Still nothing. You don't want to risk going any louder. Well, so much for that. What else can you do...? You start patting your sides, until your hand finds the answer.

You fish a coin out of your pouch and chuck it at one of the pirates' heads. "Ow...!" he yelps in surprise. Heh. That should have gotten someone's attention. You wait for several seconds, subtly observing the chaos you created. One pirate smacks the one who yelped, and you can see the group exchanging several whispered words. The one you hit points your way, and you slip your sword back behind the wall. You ease the very tip back around against the ground, and see two pirates heading your way. Before you can do anything, one of the pirates opens the door to the pegasus knights' room.

Only to have a sword burst through his chest. He doesn't scream, doesn't have any time to react. He just reaches for his chest, confused, then falls to the floor. The two pirates who were marching towards you turn their backs, and you take the opportunity to dive around the corner, covering the short distance to the pirates in less than a second. "Batter up!" One's head rolls to the floor, and the other trips over it. "Now I gotcha!" He never knew what hit him.

Ferris steps out of the pegasus knights' room, slashing one pirate's neck. Haley follows close behind, slashing the second's calves when he tries to run. The two of them double-team the last one, stabbing and slashing him repeatedly. A few more pirates burst out from around a corner, but some of your troops are coming out, and the pirates soon find themselves surrounded by weapons of all kinds.

Hopelessly outmatched, most of the pirates try to fight anyway. It's not a pretty sight, especially once Claudia emerges from her master's chambers. Paen appears behind her, but contents himself with propping against a door frame and watching his captain work. That lady is seriously creepy... Her laughter as she decapitates a pirate sends shivers down your spine.

At the end of the battle, Doran grabs everyone's attention. Pink-shirt busied herself with unlocking the doors, and only a few remain. He tells her to stay on it while he takes everyone else topside. You notice him wagging his finger across the fallen. "22 pirates, out of a crew of 40... Well, let's go find the other 18."

"Oh... Commander!" you call. "Fumiko's in the kitchen, and I think I saw Charon and one of our mages up on the deck. And the captain's in her room, I think."

Agni suddenly calls out. "Taika? Ah, curse, she is not here!"

Doran closes his eyes for a moment. "Nice work, Jayce. Alright, Alyssa, get these last few doors open. Everyone else, we're splitting into three teams. One will head to the decks, a small team will head to the kitchen, and everyone else to the Captain's Quarters."

Mary steps forward. "I'm going to look for my mother!"

Agni follows her example. "And I am going up to decks."

Currently available units: Haley, Wendy, Rain, Ferris, Jessup, Syrene, Agni, Mary, Doran, Paen, Claudia (and Jayce, of course)

(A) Go to the decks (Agni + choose 4) (Haley, Ferris, Paen, Syrene, Jayce)
(B) Go to the kitchen (Mary + choose 1) (Claudia)
(C) Go to the captain's cabin (Doran + choose 3) (Wendy, Jessup, Rain)

"Jayce, stick with me," Doran says. "Wendy, Ferris, Paen. You, too. We're going to check on Rosalin." You fall in behind the commander. Sure is nice to have the big guy with your team, though the glare his little guardian gave you was something out of a horror story.

When you reach Rosalin's cabin, you find her standing beside two badly wounded pirates. Several dead ones are scattered about. A trio of pirates are facing off against them. "Courage, lads!" Rosalin commands. She fends off two of the pirates herself. You can see the pain in her face every time her axe is struck... Come to think of it, she's still using her little - well, comparatively - axe, rather than that monster she got earlier today.

"Stop gawking and start fighting!" Ferris snaps at you as he leads the charge. Doran's lightning bolt strikes one pirate in the back, and he falls over dead. Ferris gets to the other one before he has time to turn around. The third, realize he's not badly outnumbered, starts to panic. Rosalin smashes his skull in.

"Well, we didn't really need to kill him... I take it these two are staying loyal?" Doran asks, indicating the two wounded beside her.

"They'd be pretty foolish to try anything now, don't you think?" you ask.

"Bah, these two've been at me side since the start! I trust 'em with me life!" Rosalin wraps the pair in a hug. They cry out in pain.

Doran helps administer some vulnerary to their wounds while counting the fallen. "Well, that's most of your crew accounted for. 30 dead, 1 wounded, and 2 loyal. Let's go see how the others fared, shall we?"

Well, this has been a "fun" day. I'm almost sad for it to be ending though...

You are now June.

Those jerks... They told you the captain needed to see her in her cabin to talk about something, took you through a "shortcut," and stuffed you in a potato sack. At least I learned a lesson about letting your guard down... It was morning before John finally found you.

It turns out a lot happened last night. Taika averted a hostage situation - and now Charon's following her around like a grateful puppy. Fumiko got ambushed in the kitchen - but she's fine, except for a few small scrapes. Everyone's calling Jayce a hero, though apparently his horse is a bit annoyed with him. And a bit of gossip's going around about Ferris being in one of the girl's rooms, though he keeps protesting that he had merely gone in to talk with Haley when the mutiny started. Eventually, Rain stops teasing them, and admits that to be the truth. You're curious what exactly he wanted to talk about, but you get your answer at breakfast.

"Haley, I... wanted to ask you something."

"OK, then ask! Is this what you wanted to ask last night? Why are you blushing? What's in that box?"

Ferris produces a small box, and opens it. Inside is a small, but brilliant, diamond ring. "Haley, will you marry me?"

"M-me!? B-but... I... W-what about...?" It's not often you see Haley at such a loss of words.

"Sh..." Ferris says, placing a finger over her lips. "Don't worry about anyone else. Just know that I did some... thinking, and realized how much I love your spirit, you energy, your pep. And seeing you so depressed was just heartbreaking for me. So I want to be with you, and never let you be sad again. So... What do you say?"

For once, Haley doesn't say anything, she just leaps and wraps her arms around Ferris' neck. He twirls her around, both of them laughing now. "Oh, Ferris! Let's do it! Let's get married!"

Several people are clapping, or congratulating the two of them. A few - Dan, Cynbel, Paen - stand off to one side, but you can still make out the hints of smiles around their faces. Finally, your turn comes to congratulate the pair. Haley's smile fades for a second. "Oh, June..."

"Congratulations, you two! You're such a cute couple!" you say earnestly.

Her smile returns. "Oh, thank you, June!"

"Bar ha ha!" Rosalin laughs. "A wedding, is it? Well, out here on th' high seas, a captain's got all the authority she needs wot to pronounce you a couple! Anyone here object?" No one answers - possibly because they're surprised by her sudden announcement. "Well, ya'll two accept one another?"

"Yes!" Haley exclaims.

"You know it," Ferris answers.

"Then I now pronounce ya husban' an' wife! Now give 'er a kiss!"

The two look into each others eyes. Ferris starts to slowly move in for a kiss, but Haley wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him into a passionate smooch.

...You really do feel happy for them.

You notice Bud and Wendy whispering to each other, before slipping off to speak with Rosalin. Later that evening, against the backdrop of the sunset, everyone meets on the deck for Rosalin to marry them officially - though they have Saul handle the ceremony. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness this union. Bud of Hearthstone, do you take Lady Wendy of Antea as your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do."

"And you, Lady Wendy?"

"I do."

"Captain Rosalin, would you do the honors?"

"Yer married!" she yells from the wheel.

"May your marriage be blessed with several years of joy. You may kiss the bride."

Huh. Growing up, you never expected Bud to marry a knight. Much less to be married on an ex-pirate's ship by the archbishop himself. Still, he makes a gallant figure, bending down to meet Wendy's kiss, and you haven't seen him smile like that in a long while. As you glance around the room, you notice several people glancing at others; some are blushing, some are grinning. Looks like things are about to get more interesting around here...

Rosalin doesn't give the two couples any time to honeymoon, however. With only two crew members remaining, your group is forced to step up, working long hours to keep the ship moving towards Terranus. Fortunately, two days later, it appears on the horizon.

As you pull into the dock, Rosalin delivers a curtsy - if you can call it that - and proudly announces your arrival at the Terranus port of Sal-Aldin. "And since me crew betrayed me 'cause they were lookin' to steal ya, I'm goin' with ya until I can get me a new crew! Think of it as collat'ral."

Rosalin stalls for a few moments, ordering her two surviving crew members to see if they can find some new recruits while she's gone, and to take care of the ship, restock on supplies, offload goods, buy new goods, count the coin, scrape the barnacles, mend the sails, clean the weapons... The list goes on and on.

"By the way, captain, now that we're on land, I'm back in command," Doran says simply. "Unrelated question: we took one of those pirates alive. What happened to him?"

"Iunno, you'd probably have to ask a fish or somethin'. But I'd assume he drowned."

"...Lovely. Well, I'm going to go find a library; if I recall correctly, there's a rather nice one around here somewhere. Jake, Anna, can you make sure we're well supplied with water and whatnot? Rain, find us some space at the inn. Everyone else, you're free to explore the city until sundown. We'll regroup at that inn over there," Doran says pointing at an inn off in the distance. He winks at Haley. "Hey, a foreign port city, who could ask for a better honeymoon? Everyone be careful, all right? See you tonight." With that, he strolls down the gangplank.

Rosalin pats you on the back. "We'll take care o' your 'orses and whatnot. Go on out an' explore."

As you disembark, the first thing you notice is the heat. It's much warmer after you move further from the sea. Agni notices your expression, and laughs at you a bit. He takes a scarf out of his sack and ties it around your head. The city itself is much larger than you expected. The docks themselves seem to go on and on, with ships coming and going constantly. Seagulls flap lazily overhead with incessant cries. As you start to move into the city, throngs of people swarm open air stalls, with merchants hawking their wares.

Time for management. Supports, reclassing, and giving June her first friend skill. She can learn a special skill from anyone who she's achieved an A rank with Let's do that first, then I'll post classes and supports in the next one.

(A) Rain - Aether
(B) Bud - Bowfaire
(C) Haley - Deliverer
(D) Ferris – Vantage

Reclassing:
June Free Knight
Rain Great Lord
Bud Marksman
Haley Seraph Knight
Wendy Infernal Flier
Ferris Trueblade
Alyssa Theif Lord
Jessup Saint
Syrene Wander
Agni Archsage
Dan Dracolord
Walt Sentinel
Jayce Mountain Knight
Holland Great Knight
John Sage
Taika Archsage
Mary Witch
Fumiko Ninetails
Charon Artisan
Cynbel Mountain Knight
Doran Leader
Paen Baron
Claudia Dracolord
Saul Dark Knight
Rosalin Reaver

Jeez, that's, like... 70ish supports. Let's do 10. Reclass options en route.

June/Wendy B
June/Alyssa A
June/Syrene C
June/Agni C
June/Walt B
June/Jayce C
June/Holland C
June/Mary B
June/Fumiko B
June/Paen B
June/Doran C
June/Rosalin C
Rain/Wendy A
Rain/Dan A
Rain/Holland S
Rain/Paen C
Rain/Doran B
Bud/Taika C
Bud/Syrene B
Haley/Wendy B
Haley/Agni B
Haley/Holland C
Haley/John C
Wendy/Jayce C
Wendy/Agni B
Wendy/Dan B
Ferris/Taika C
Ferris/Mary C
Ferris/Cynbel C
Ferris/Claudia C
Alyssa/Jessup S
Alyssa/Holland C
Alyssa/Charon C
Jessup/Syrene A
Jessup/Agni C
Jessup/Mary C
Jessup/Rosalin C
Syrene/Agni S
Syrene/Charon C
Agni/Dan C
Agni/Jayce C
Agni/Taika B
Dan/Taika C
Dan/Paen C
Dan/Claudia B
Walt/Holland C
Walt/Taika C
Jayce/Taika C
Jayce/Mary C
Jayce/Cynbel C
Jayce/Rosalin C
Holland/Fumiko C
Holland/Claudia C
Holland/Saul C
Holland/Doran B
John/Taika C
John/Mary A
John/Fumiko B
Taika/Charon C
Mary/Cynbel C
Mary/Doran C
Fumiko/Charon C
Fumiko/Paen C
Fumiko/Doran C
Charon/Cynbel C
Charon/Claudia C
Cynbel/Jayce C
Cynbel/Dan C
Paen/Claudia C
Paen/Saul B
Paen/Rosalin C

As you start your trek into the city, you notice a familiar head of pink hair standing out in the crowd. You go to say hello.

"Oh, hello June," Walt greets you. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"This place is... massive. I've never seen anything quite like it. I mean, I thought Antea and Carcina were big, but this place is as big as the two put together..."

"Yep. Well, Sal-Aldin is a major trading hub. Like Trine, but on an even grander scale. Goods from all throughout Terranus are shipped from here to Valeria and Carcina from here, and anything besides food comes in through this port."

"But how can they all survive here?"

"Well, they import most of their food, since the land here is too arid for much farming. As for water... I don't know. Probably some underground springs or something. You'd be better off asking Doran or someone."

"Well, I'm still pretty impressed. You're really knowledgeable, Walt."

You aren't sure whether he's blushing or suffering from the heat. "Ah, thank you. Well, I did apply myself to my studies. It's a knight's duty to know about the world."

"I never thought of that, but I can certainly see how it could be important. I know, how about you give me some private tutoring sometime, Walt?"

"Ah, yes, well. Certainly. Anything to help a sister-in-arms. If you'll excuse me, I want to see the local armory about making some modifications to my armor to help resist this infernal heat."

You bid him farewell, and decide to explore the market for a bit. The stalls have all kinds of exotic goods: spices, silks, perfumes like you've never seen. Enthralled by all the novel sights, sounds, and smells, you barely notice the subtle tugging at your waist. Instinctively, you reach into your pocket; Alyssa had warned you about pickpockets multiple times. Instead of finding something missing, you find something added. You pull out an elixer, along with a note:

"Thanks for saving my ship"

June received an elixer!
Current stock: 1

Eventually, as you wander the stalls, you turn a corner and see a very large set of black armor towering above the rest of the crowd. You make your way over to greet Paen. "King Paen! Wait, where's Claudia? Don't tell me she let you out into a crowd like this by herself?"

"I didn't," an imposing voice says from behind you. You turn, expecting to see Claudia, but you're unable to spot her in the crowd.

"No, but my loyal shadow's practicing the shadow half today," he says with a grin. "Come, Girly, walk with me."

As you walk among the stalls, Paen occasionally points out some obscure trinket or statuette, explaining its meaning, or how it is made, or how the merchant will try to scam you. "Here," he says as he approaches a stall. "Watch how haggling is done."

Paen begins conversing with the merchant in a language you don't understand. After a few moments, he hands over a small bag of gold. He turns back to you. "Well, did you learn anything?"

"No, I... I don't speak Terran."

"Well, that's lesson one. Merchants prefer when you speak in their native language. Here, a trinket from our date."

He hands you the trinket he purchased.

(A) Angelic robe
(B) Secret book
(C) Speedwings
(D) Talisman
(E) Goddess icon

You catch the book as he tosses it to you. "Er... Date?"

"Heh... I'm just kidding, Girly."

"Well then," you say, crossing your arms. "What about Claudia? Since this isn't a date, shouldn't you get something for her, too?"

"Yes, I suppose I should. Come along, Claudia, I saw you eyeing that scarf a ways back."

He saw that through this crowd? I never even saw her... "Er... Bye, Claudia," you call. There is no response. Was Paen just messing with you...? He waves dismissively as he walks away. You decide to head back to the inn early and do a bit of studying, flipping open the book and reading as you stroll back.

Haley and Wendy fly along the perimeter of Sal-Aldin. "There's a lot of sand out there..." Wendy calls over.

"Yeah, it looks really shifty! Get it?"

Wendy sighs, and brings her pegasus down beside the trail. She has him run a few paces, just to see how stable the sand is. "This is horrible. Our cavalry's going to be in trouble if they have to fight in this..." she flaps back into the air.

Haley dismounts from Fare, running a few circles around him as he shakes the sand from his mane. She drops onto her back and tries to make a sand angel. Wendy eyes her questioningly, before returning to the land. "Haley... What are you doing?"

"Don't tell me you never tried to make a snow angel back in Valeria?"

"Snow angel?"

"Yeah, you just lay in the snow and flap your arms and legs like this..." she demonstrates. "And when you stand up...!" She leaps up to observe her creation. An angelic silhouette persists for a fraction of a second before filling back with sand. Haley groans in disappointment.

"I've... never seen that before. I'm guessing it works a bit better in the snow?"

"Yeah. I'll have to show you next time we're back home! And we can have snowball fights and build snowmen... And I'm sure Bud and Ferris will join us!"

"Hm... Speaking of which, after we finish up our patrol, what say we take our men on a double date?"

"Sounds good to me!" Haley yells as she jumps back on her pegasus. "Oh... I'm covered in sand!" She empties one of her boots, creating a small mountain of sand. Wendy laughs as she flies ahead.

You are now Syrene.

You wander through the market alone - so many sights and - Oh, wow, what is that thing? You've never seen half of these things back in Valeria. Sure, the metalworkers of Voluth were renowned for their metallurgy but there's a huge difference between a sword and these artistic... things. Statuettes? Jewelry... Oh, the dresses are simply magnicifent! But nothing you'd ever wear. Too... airy. Light. Exposed.

A person taps your shoulder, and you reach for your knife. As you turn, you realize it's just Jessup, and you release your grip. "Hey, Jessup. You know not to sneak up on me like that!" You give him your most reassuring smile. He returns yours nervously, eyeing your sheathe.

"I didn't think you'd actually still carry that knife..."

"Why not? Alyssa gave it to me. I thought she gave you one, too?"

"She... did. But I always refused to wear it, because it scared me. Maybe if I'd had it that day, when the bandits grabbed me... Alyssa wouldn't have had to help them..."

You tense at the reminder. So many good people... dead... Locked in that mine, no escape, so dark... But, you remember one light in the darkness. Warm. Protecting. Fighting beside Agni... You snap back to the conversation. "That's a... dangerous way to think, Jessup. If we start questioning all our decisions, we may start to doubt everything about ourselves."

Jessup thinks for a moment. "We wouldn't be here, helping to... Well, we may be saving the world. But that sounds an awful lot like some philosophical thing Agni would say. You've been hanging around him a lot lately, you know?" You think for a minute, and realize he's right. "Speaking of which, I think he was looking for you, over that way somewhere."

Agni looking for me? Why? Should I go find him? Can I, in this mess? "Thanks, Jessup. I'll go look for him." You excuse yourself and head in the direction he was pointing. You aren't sure how to find him, but fortunately, he finds you.

"Syrene! I have been searching for you."

"A-Agni...? You needed something?" Help looking for something? A translator? What could he need?

He takes a dagger from his sleeve. "I was hoping to do this in Valeria's traditions, but as we are in Terranus, I thought ours more... appropriate." He draws the dagger, and slips it across his palm, allowing it to soak some of his blood before returning it to its sheathe. He then kneels and offers it to you. "Syrene... I reading minds, but I would be half of a whole with you. Will you accept me, blood and soul, as your partner for life?"

Life... Blood... Dagger? Partner? Valerian custom, Terranus custom... Wait, is he...? You hesitantly reach for the knife. "Are you... proposing to me?" He nods. You draw the knife from its sheathe. Happiness, warmth, red glow. Feeling... something. What is this feeling? You have an idea. "If you can tell me what I'm thinking, I accept."

Agni looks in your eyes for a moment, before pulling you into an embrace. Love. "...Close enough," you mutter, enjoying the moment, ignoring the passing crowd. When he releases you, you make a thin cut on your palm, touch the blood to the dagger, and sheathe it. Agni smiles at you warmly, and you can feel your face locking into a grin as well. He offers you his hand, and the two of you stroll towards the waterfront, hand-in-hand. Looks like I have to carry two knives, now...

Syrene gained the unique item: Baselard

You are now John.

A month ago, if someone had told you you'd one day be escorting a shape-shifter and a witch through a market in Terranus, you'd have said a prayer for them. You hate to admit it, but your master was wrong about the shape-shifters, at least. Laguz, you remind yourself. You still don't trust this dark mage completely, but she seems to be in control for now, at least.

The fox drags you from stall to stall. Shortly after disembarking, she intercepted you before you could make it to the inn to meditate. "I need an escort. Or will you really let two lovely ladies walk around a strange town unescorted?" she had asked. You couldn't exactly refuse. Though anyone who dared to mess with these two would find themselves on the short side of that stick.

"Oh, my!" Fumiko exclaims, once again. "It's so wonderful!" she says, snatching a garish pink dress from a stall and holding it up. You've never seen a dress quite like it - it looks more like a robe than a true dress.

"What manner of clothing is this?" you ask.

"It's something from my home country, miles and miles and miles from here. Or leagues, I suppose, since you have to go by ship. So, what do you think?"

"I... suppose the design is nice. I'm not sure about the color, however."

"Oh... I see," Fumiko says. You catch a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Er... What about this one?" you ask, indicating a similar outfit, in a hunter green.

"Oh, my! You have a good eye, John. I love this shade... And I am looking for a new outfit to celebrate... Mary's been tutoring me in magic, and I'm finally ready to make my combat debut. What do you think, John? Would you like to see me wear it?"

"I... I'm sure it would look lovely on you."

"Perhaps you'd like to help me put it on?" she teases. You can feel your face turning red. Fortunately, Mary comes to your rescue.

"Oh, Mother, stop teasing him. Much more, and he might actually burst into flames."

"Oh, fine, Mary. Hm... I think I'll head back to the inn to try on my new uniform. You two go have some fun, hm? But not too much fun." You sense a slight edge in her voice during that last bit. She turns to pay for her new dress, and Mary grabs your arm.

You protest, but she ignores you, dragging you down alley after alley. "Do you know where we are?" you ask after a few minutes.

"Nope!" she responds. "I'm going to teach you a bit about survival. Navigation. Now, you get us back to the inn."

You have no idea how to begin. You stare at Mary, dumbfounded, for several minutes. Eventually, she coughs lightly while pointing upwards. You look up, curious as to what she's hinting at... And you're nearly blinded by the sun. In fact, it's so bright, all you can see is the sun. Wait a moment... "The sun was always behind us in the afternoons sailing on the way over here..."

"Yes..." she says, excitement palpable in her voice.

"So if we head towards the sun once it's late afternoon, it'll guide us to the water, then we can find Rosalin's ship, and we can see the inn from there!"

"Yes!" Mary exclaims. "You're learning. But for us to be able to follow the sun reliably, we need to wait until late afternoon. So, what are we going to do until then?"

"I have no idea."

"Come one, we're in a new place, and we have a reliable way to get back. We could just wander around and take in the sights. See how these people live. Learn about new cultures."

You have to admit, you're a bit curious. And you aren't really sure what time of the day it is, so you do need to kill some time. And you suppose there could be worse partners to explore with.

Aside: Voters decided on the gender of an upcoming character – female won

You are June again

You sit in the inn common room, flipping through the book Paen bought you. The inn is much larger than the one you stayed in back in Mala, and you see several people coming and going who aren't in your group. Some eye you curiously, others ignore you. Eventually, the sun begins setting, and your friends start returning. Paen walks in, smiles at you, then goes to find his dinner. A moment later, Claudia walks in, with a blood-red scarf draped over her head. You notice Dan rising from a corner. When did he get here?

"Claudia," he greets her.

"Oh, hello, Sir Dan. Do you need something?"

"No, I just wanted to tell you that scarf looks nice on you."

"Oh, thank you! It was a gift from the king."

"Between the scarf and your armor, I'd say you were a Terranus native. Well, if you weren't so pale."

"Pale? I'm not 'pale,' I'm fair-skinned!"

"Right. Well, a few hours under Terranus' sun, and you're going to be red. I mean no offence, I just warn you to take precautions against sun stroke. I hear those with pale skin are particularly vulnerable."

"Oh... Thanks for looking after me, I suppose. But you really need to learn better ways to to speak with women..."

"I've never been particularly good at speaking with women," Dan admits. "As far as I'm concerned, women are just men without-"

"How have you been traveling with females all this time...? That's it. I'm going to give you some lessons on decorum."

"That's really not necessary..."

"But it is a direct order from a superior officer. I expect to see you at dinner."

"Great..." Dan mutters.

You notice Paen has found his meal, and found some company for dinner. He chooses to sit next to the archbishop. "Saul," he greets him. "How do you like this food? I can't say I've ever been especially fond of Terranus' spiced meats, but it seems to taste a bit better in this climate."

"Oh... I suppose. I never really..."

"Something wrong, Saul?"

"...Yes," Saul says sadly. "I'm worried about Valeria. Antea was all but wiped out. I ordered my knights to save as many civilians as possible, but I don't know how many made it out, or where they'd go from there..."

"Well, I noticed several groups evacuating, so at least some made it out. As for where they went, I didn't notice any Risen outside the gates, so I assume they made it wherever they went."

"There were none outside the town? That is good news, indeed. Still, without me there... Well, they'd normally have the council, but they're all dead or traitors. And with Horatio..."

"Don't dwell on that dastard. Do not worry about Valeria. It will not collapse so quickly. Towns can handle themselves, regional commanders can organize their own defense and coordinate among themselves... For a while, at least. Our role is less to lead than to guide. And build roads, handle diplomacy, things like that."

"Yes, I suppose you're right. It won't matter that Valeria has no leader, no capital, unless we manage to destroy whatever is creating all these Risen... I do hope Doran finds something."

"Oh, I'm sure he will. They didn't let me visit the hostages they kept in my dungeons often, but when I did, I found your tactician quite enjoyable to speak with. He's clever. I'm sure he'll figure something out."

When you finish your book, you go to join the others for dinner. Paen, just finishing, stops as you pass him. "So, did you enjoy the book?" he asks.

"Yes, it was very... informative."

"Well, I'm glad." He gives you a smile, then goes to sit in the commons.

You take a seat next to Wendy, though she doesn't notice you. She's busy speaking with Rain. "Captain, we've surveyed the outlying area. Outside the town, there's some small roads, but mostly sand. We experimented with it a bit. Walking is difficult, but horses have it even worse than us - our pegasi are fine, so long as they stick to the air, of course. We may want to consider having our mounted units fight dismounted."

"I see," Rain responds. She sighs. "I picked quite a time to learn how to fight in this armor... I'm not ready to fly in it yet."

"There's nothing that says a lord can't fly," Wendy suggests.

"And I will again, in time. I've still been keeping care of my pegasus, and we've gone on a few rides. I'm still not ready to ride him in combat, though."

"I see. Well, I can't wait until we get the chance to fly together again. But let's talk about something else... Haley and I've been curious. Is there anyone for you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I found Bud, Haley's got Ferris... Surely you've got your eye on someone?"

You've never seen Rain blush before. "My, well, a lady never kisses and tells, you know."

"Oh, come one, Captain!"

"You've never been interested in this type of thing before. What's gotten into you?"

"Hm... I know something you don't know..." Wendy giggles. Rain looks less than thrilled at being on the receiving end of the teasing. Fortunately, Holland comes to the rescue, walking up behind her.

"Er... Rain. Uh. Lady Rain. I... Wanted to ask you... Erm..." His voice is much more restrained than normal.

"Oh, Holland," Rain sighs as she turns around. "This is why I never told anyone about my lineage. They always get so weird about it. I'm still the same cute girl you've known since we were young. I don't want you treating me any different."

"Oh, really?" Holland straightens up considerably, his voice returning. "Well, then. Let's get hitched!"

"Er... What?"

"I'm asking you to marry me! Can I be more obvious?"

"Holland! Just because I don't want you to treat me differently, doesn't mean I don't want you to propose more romantically than that!" She smacks him in the shoulder.

"Ow! What was... OK, OK, let me try again." He turns and leaves the room.

Rain turns back to Wendy. "Is this what you were talking about?" she asks accusingly.

"Er... Maybe," Wendy answers. Haley giggles from across the table.

Holland marches back into the room, head held high, and walks over to Rain. He places his hands over her eyes. "Guess who?"

"Hm... Could it be Holland?" she asks playfully, allowing him to spin her around.

"It is indeed," he answers, dropping to one knee. He holds a ring out. "Lady Rain, will you marry me?"

"Much better," she answers. "And of course I will, you giant teddy bear!"

"'Teddy Bear?' Hardly! Maybe an old grizzly be-" Rain cuts him off, wrapping her arms around his head and pulling him into a kiss.

A cheer goes up from some of your friends, as well as several of the others staying in the inn. Doran slides into the seat next to you. "What did I miss?"

"Doran?" you ask, slightly startled. "Um... Holland just proposed to Rain."

"Oh? …Oh…" He says. He sounds a bit... sad...?

Doran lets everyone celebrate for a few moments, before attracting everyone's attention. "We'll hold a meeting in the commons... no, my room, 5 minutes from now." He then excuses himself, patting Holland on the back as he passes.

End of Chapter 14+B